In a process for informing a user regarding the position of an information source relative to the user's position, the position of an information source is first determined relative to the user. Thereafter, a tactile or electrical stimulus is generated, for directly affecting the user in a location that corresponds to the determined position of the information source. In one embodiment of the invention, tactile or electrical actuators are disposed at locations within a garment, such as a pilot's uniform at locations which correspond to possible locations of the information source.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A process for informing a user concerning the position of an information source relative to the user's own position, said process comprising: determining the position of an information source relative to the user's position; determining a location on a body of the user corresponding to the determined position of the information source; selecting one or more actuators from a plurality of actuators in different positions on the user's body using the determined location on the user's body; and generating using the selected one or more actuators, one of tactile and electrical stimuli for direct application to the user in the location on the user's body corresponding to the determined position of the information source.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein generating tactile or electrical stimuli comprises: generating control signals for the selected one or more actuators for directly affecting the user; and transmitting the generated control signals to the selected one or more actuators.
3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of actuators include at least one of tactile and electrical actuators.
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein generating tactile or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user further comprises adjusting the intensity of the stimuli as a function of parameters of the information source.
5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein a parameter of the information source is one of a distance to the information source from the user, a degree of danger to the user caused by the information source, speed of the information source, and a movement direction of the information source.
6. A system for informing a user concerning the position of an information source relative to the user position, said system comprising: a device for determining the position of an information source with respect to the user position; a transmitter which generates tactile or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user; and a tactile or electric stimulator arrangement comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein the transmitter is configured to generate tactile or electrical stimuli using selected ones of the plurality of actuators for stimulating the user in a location on the user's body corresponding to the determined position of the information source.
7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the actuators include tactile and/or electrical actuators.
8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the devices for generating tactile and/or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user are also constructed such that they can adjust the intensity of the stimuli as function of parameters of the information source.
9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein a parameter of the information source comprises one of a distance of the information source from the user, a degree of danger to the user caused by the information source, a speed of the information source, and a movement direction of the information source.
10. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of actuators are integrated in a pilot's uniform.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 20, 2009
June 12, 2012
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